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In it to win it

 By Sharon C. Cooper 

Summary:

Morgan Redford, known for her privileged and carefree lifestyle, wants to make a meaningful difference by helping young adults aging out of foster care. She sets her sights on a property perfect for this cause, only to find her competition is ex-boyfriend Drake Faulkner, a Los Angeles real estate developer. Both are determined to win, but the eccentric owner insists they compete in a series of challenges. As tensions rise and past emotions resurface, Morgan and Drake must decide if they can stay focused on the prize or if their rekindled attraction will get in the way.


My thoughts:

In this book, the insertion of TikTok and reality elements feels jarring, detracting from the overall narrative. I’m not a fan of real life things in novels. I want to escape reality, not face it in literature too. The characters’ tendency to (literally) stumble through situations rivals that of Bella Swan, which is meant to be charming but often falls flat. While my determination to finish helped pull me out of a reading slump, the story felt unnecessarily stretched; it could have easily been condensed into a 300-page novel.


On a positive note, I appreciated the simplicity of the love story. It’s refreshing to see Black love portrayed in a lighthearted way, moving beyond the typical narratives of trauma that often dominate the genre. This representation is valuable and needed.


Overall, I’d rate the book a 5/10.

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